The Bluebonnet Studios social housing development in Austin supports a healthy lifestyle through the design. The property, designed by Forge Craft Architecture + Design , provides housing for the homeless, low-income veterans and local musicians. It features forward-thinking sustainable elements such as recycled and locally-sourced materials, a well insulated envelope, optimal orientation, low-flow fixtures and occupancy sensors. The architects worked with a difficult site and a very tight budget, which required a close collaboration between the design, construction, and ownership teams, as well as help of sustainability experts like Pliny Fisk and Jason McLennan . An important aspect of the design was access to natural light , which the team provided by creating a light well that runs through the center of the building. This emphasis on daylight also allows for most of the building to be functional without artificial light in the event of a power outage – including all circulation. Heating and cooling are provided by centralized LG VRF units tied to individual apartment thermostats. Each thermostat is coupled to both window sensors and door-triggered occupancy sensors . All the interior finishes and products were regionally sourced, recycled and healthy. On top of the building, a green space allows for outdoor activities. Related: Top 6 Green Supportive and Low-Income Housing Projects Of the 107 single-occupancy units, 22 are reserved for the area’s homeless and low-income veterans, while five are dedicated to local musicians. Each resident received a small package of tools, including a recycling bin, recycling magnet, green cleaning recipes, and recommendations for conservative thermostat settings to help residents keep their homes green. Additionally, a green housekeeping program provides a dispensing station with Green Seal certified cleaning chemicals for maintenance staff and janitorial contractors. + Forge Craft Architecture + Design Photos by Paul Bardagjy

Water scarcity is felt unequally throughout the world with some regions worse off than others. Iran-based BMDesign Studios addressed their home country’s arid climates with an architectural solution to water shortages called Concave Roof, a double-roof system designed to collect and store rainwater, and promote natural cooling. The Concave Roof was engineered for arid environments, where rainwater collection can be tricky due to higher than average evaporation rates and low annual precipitation. The double-roof system, which includes a domed roof beneath a bowl-shaped catchment area, is designed to “help [make] even the smallest quantities of rain [flow down] the roof and eventually coalesce into bigger drops, just right for harvesting before they evaporate,” said the architects to ArchDaily . Stacking a concave roof atop a convex roof promotes natural cooling through shade and wind movement between the two roofs. Related: Rammed earth house blends traditional materials with modern techniques in Vietnam’s last frontier The bowl-shaped catchment area is steeply sloped to move raindrops towards a central collection point, where the rain is funneled into reservoirs . The reservoirs are placed between building walls to help regulate indoor temperatures. With this system, the architects estimate that 28 cubic meters of water could be harvested with just 923 square meters of a concave roof surface. BMDesign Studios’ vision also goes beyond the double-roof system and includes a massing design where the buildings and courtyards are sunken to promote natural cooling. The buildings would be organized around atriums to promote circulation and community. + BMDesign Studios Via ArchDaily Images via BMDesign Studios

Water scarcity is felt unequally throughout the world with some regions worse off than others. Iran-based BMDesign Studios addressed their home country’s arid climates with an architectural solution to water shortages called Concave Roof, a double-roof system designed to collect and store rainwater, and promote natural cooling. The Concave Roof was engineered for arid environments, where rainwater collection can be tricky due to higher than average evaporation rates and low annual precipitation. The double-roof system, which includes a domed roof beneath a bowl-shaped catchment area, is designed to “help [make] even the smallest quantities of rain [flow down] the roof and eventually coalesce into bigger drops, just right for harvesting before they evaporate,” said the architects to ArchDaily . Stacking a concave roof atop a convex roof promotes natural cooling through shade and wind movement between the two roofs. Related: Rammed earth house blends traditional materials with modern techniques in Vietnam’s last frontier The bowl-shaped catchment area is steeply sloped to move raindrops towards a central collection point, where the rain is funneled into reservoirs . The reservoirs are placed between building walls to help regulate indoor temperatures. With this system, the architects estimate that 28 cubic meters of water could be harvested with just 923 square meters of a concave roof surface. BMDesign Studios’ vision also goes beyond the double-roof system and includes a massing design where the buildings and courtyards are sunken to promote natural cooling. The buildings would be organized around atriums to promote circulation and community. + BMDesign Studios Via ArchDaily Images via BMDesign Studios

The Minima Moralia pop-up studio asks the question, “Will London still be the capital of creativity, arts and crafts in 10 years time?” The pair points out that soon only the independently wealthy will be able to afford the necessary means to be a productive member of the creative industry, as rental fees and training costs soar. Their studio could serve as a beginning to more affordable and accessible creative spaces. Related: The Observatory is a duo of charred-timber, off-grid art studios traveling around the UK Inspired by Theodor Adorno’s commentary on the “damaged lives” of London’s artists, the studio challenges its inhabitants to simplify their necessities in the tight quarters, yet also draw influence from the surroundings. Described as a type of “urban acupuncture,” the studios target and revive areas in the city most typically discarded or ignored. A modular steel frame is the starting point for the studio’s design, allowing a variety of different window, shelving, and desk configurations. A folding canopy completely opens up one side of the space, while a smaller vertical window gives an at-home feel to the artist inside. Bright sun or stars can filter in through an overhead skylight, furthering the connection to the space and inspiration outdoors. +Minima Moralia Via Dezeen Images via Tomaso Boano and Jonas Prišmontas

Comments Off on Luxurious tiny home lets owner live off-grid and rent-free

Created for client Marjolein Jonker, Walden Studio’s abode is the first tiny house to be legally placed with a temporary permit by a municipality in the Netherlands . Despite its small 17-square-meter footprint, the compact house creates the illusion of spaciousness with an open-plan layout and large glazed windows, two of which form the front door and blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living. Natural daylight spills into the home and reflects off the white-finished walls, cork floors, and birch plywood paneling. The largest area of the tiny home is the multifunctional seating area, just beyond the front doors, that includes a multipurpose, transforming piece of furniture that morphs from a couch with hidden storage space to a dining table that can seat four. The kitchen, desk, and stairs with storage are located in the center of the home, while the bathroom with a composting toilet and shower are tucked away in the rear. The bedroom and a closet are on the loft level. Related: Tiny Off-Grid Cabin in Maine is Completely Self-Sustaining “The house is inspired by the tiny house movement,” said the architects. “Living small generates more freedom; there is less junk in your house, you have to clean less and you don’t have to worry about a high mortgage since the average price is a fifth of a ‘normal’ house.” Thermally modified pine wood, spruce wood studs, and Ecoboard clad the tiny house and are bolstered by sheep wool insulation so that only a small wood stove is needed to heat the entire building. Rooftop solar panels power the off-grid home, while rainwater is harvested and wastewater is treated using a natural system. + Walden Studio Images via Walden Studio

Treehouses appeal to the child in all of us, but some of them go far above and beyond the simple structures of our youth. This infographic, brought to you by Heiton Buckley and NeoMam Studios , reveals the 7 best treehouses out there. From the trippy Mirrorcube in Sweden to the whimsical Free Spirit Spheres in Canada, these beautiful structures show just what you can accomplish with a little innovation, a child-like spirit and a really big tree. Read the rest of INFOGRAPHIC: The 7 best treehouses on Earth Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: Bird-Apartment , free spirit spheres , House in the Oak , infographic , mirrorcube , NeoMam Studios , The Nook treehouse , The Pear Tree House , the UFO treehouse , treehouse designs , Treehouses , treehouses infographic

Comments Off on Innovative energy solutions bring light and warmth to a remote Thai village

Solar power and biogas solutions are helping residents of a remote Thai village to create their own grid . Those who live in Pa Deng in Kaeng Krachan, Phetchaburi, have homes that seem to have remained unchanged for hundreds of years: Far from any established power lines, the lifestyle here is very rustic, but a group is now helping to bring light, warmth, and power to the people here by installing solar panels and biogas balloons, and teaching residents how to use them. Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Missing Attachment Read the rest of Innovative energy solutions bring light and warmth to a remote Thai village Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: balloons , biogas , biogas balloons , biogas cooking , compost gas , electric water pump , irrigation , Kaeng Krachan , methane , methane biogas , natural gas , Pa Deng , Pa Deng model , Phetchaburi , Progress Thailand , remote Thai village , remote village , rural village , solar panels , Solar Power , solar-powered water pump , Thai , Thai village , Thailand , villagers , water pump

Comments Off on Blindmanche Studios’ New Rooftop Art Museum Offers a Safe Place of Respite for Nepal’s Kids

Nepal Children’s Art Museum (NCAM) will be the first of its kind; a creative space where children can learn, play, create and just be children. The project was developed by Blindmanche Studios as a multidimensional space with three main objectives: to provide hands-on art experience to children, encourage literacy through art, and empower youth in the community. The new museum will be constructed on a rooftop in Hattisar, Kathmandu across just 1200 square ft of space. The new design will include a two-rooms that will serve as exhibition spaces and learning areas with a mini library and a media corner for film screenings. + Blindmanche Studios The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat ? Send us a tip by following this link . Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing! Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: art museum , Blindmanche Studios , children’s museum , modern museums , museum design , NCAM , nepal art , Nepal Children’s Art Museum , nepal museum , rooftop design , rooftop museum